OT: All Things Basketball Thread

[Benedict Parisechuk]

Mike Miller takes less money to play with LeBron again. Not a surprise. I'm interested to see what other veterans Cleveland tries to lure. Shawn Marion could be a good option.

 

[glenwo2]

I can definitely see the matrix join "the Lebron" in Cleveland.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Mike Miller takes less money to play with LeBron again. Not a surprise. I'm interested to see what other veterans Cleveland tries to lure. Shawn Marion could be a good option.

He is trying to recruit Ray Allen. It will be an interesting team in two years if they keep Wiggins then get Love. Apparently the talks between the Wolves and Warriors hit the same wall again. Warriors won't give them Klay Thompson.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

He is trying to recruit Ray Allen. It will be an interesting team in two years if they keep Wiggins then get Love. Apparently the talks between the Wolves and Warriors hit the same wall again. Warriors won't give them Klay Thompson.

I don't see anyway they get Love without giving up Wiggins. A package of Waiters, Bennett, and a first rounder, which is what I think Cleveland was offering, really isn't anything special. Minnesota could do a lot better than that. Cleveland may as well just wait until next summer for Love, when theh can just sign him outright.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I don't see anyway they get Love without giving up Wiggins. A package of Waiters, Bennett, and a first rounder, which is what I think Cleveland was offering, really isn't anything special. Minnesota could do a lot better than that. Cleveland may as well just wait until next summer for Love, when theh can just sign him outright.

Seems they are, and it seems the offseason is going to end without any Love trade. Warriors will not give up Klay and the Cavs will not trade Wiggins. Unless the Wolves' buckle seems Love is staying put for now.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

Stephenson to the Hornets

 

[glenwo2]

Stephenson to the Hornets

So Lance is going to blow in someone ELSE's ear for a change.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Stephenson to the Hornets

Just throw the whole east up in the air now. Jesus.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Mike Miller takes less money to play with LeBron again. Not a surprise. I'm interested to see what other veterans Cleveland tries to lure. Shawn Marion could be a good option.

They signed James Jones today.

 

[Emperoreddy]

http://deadspin.com/report-nba-wants-to-re-weight-draft-lottery-odds-to-di-1606148981

Another proposal to reweigh the lottery to discourage tanking.

 

[glenwo2]

http://deadspin.com/report-nba-wants-to-re-weight-draft-lottery-odds-to-di-1606148981

Another proposal to reweigh the lottery to discourage tanking.

Give EVERY team(even the playoff ones) the same chance of landing the #1 pick in my opinion.


THAT would completely discourage tanking because then it wouldn't matter where they finish in the standings anymore. It will be TOTALLY about luck.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Give EVERY team(even the playoff ones) the same chance of landing the #1 pick in my opinion.


THAT would completely discourage tanking because then it wouldn't matter where they finish in the standings anymore. It will be TOTALLY about luck.

Problem is you will get situations where the rich get richer and that number 1 draft pick means more in the NBA then maybe any other league.

Changing the weight in the lottery pool isn't a terrible idea as at least it keeps teams from going on epic tank runs like the Bucks and 76ers did this year.

 

[NJDevs26]

It also doesn't stop the other reason teams tank...clearing cap space to sign FA's.

As it is the worst record doesn't always get the top pick. The Nets had a 12-70 year where they didn't get the top pick a few years back. I don't know what else they're supposed to do really. Having playoff teams be eligible for the top pick is silly, it was bad enough when the Magic got Penny Hardaway or the Bulls got Derrick Rose when they were 40-win teams.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

Wizards bring in DeJuan Blair via sign and trade. They're going to be so nasty next season. Bringing in the perfect kinds of complimentary players and veterans that a young team needs. Pierce, Humphries, Blair, Miller, and Gooden to go along with Wall, Beal, Gortat, and Nene and apparently Otto Porter and Glen Robinson Jr. are tearing it up at Summer league. That is easily a top 3 team in the East.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Boozer is now a Laker if anyone cares haha.

 

[glenwo2]

Boozer is now a Laker if anyone cares haha.

Too bad the Nets had zero cap-space room to get him. He could've been a useful player for them considering that KG is 100 years old....

 

[Flushing Roots]

Just throw the whole east up in the air now. Jesus.

Maybe now the Knicks will have a puncher's chance to make the playoffs.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

The way I see the East as of today:

1. Cleveland
2. Washington
3. Brooklyn
4. Chicago
5. Indiana
6. Miami
7. Toronto
8. Atlanta

Cleveland and Chicago could easily flip flop but until I see how Rose looks, I would keep them at 4 especially if Love eventually goes to the Cavs. Four teams will probably battle it out for those last 2 spots. Charlotte and NYK could easily replace Toronto and Atlanta but I'll keep those two teams there since they've both had good offseasons. Atlanta could be better than people think with Horford coming back.

 

[glenwo2]

Brooklyn is a little high there, BP.

And Indiana is a bit low.


I think the standings would end up like this :

1. Chicago
2. Indiana
3. Washington
4. Brooklyn
5. Toronto
6. Miami
7. Cleveland
8. Atlanta

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

No chance Cleveland is 7th. Even if they go into the season as is, they'll be a top 4 team in the East. The supporting cast around LeBron is better this team around and LeBron himself is good for about 10-15 extra wins. Hell, they won 50+ games back when he was surrounded by the likes Mo Williams, Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Daniel Gibson, a broken down Ilgauskas, Donyell Marshall, and whatever other garbage they could find.

Indiana is worse today than they were when the season ended. I could see them falling into the 5-8 range. They replaced Stephenson with Rodney Stuckey, which is a downgrade. Unless they move Hibbert for a point guard, there stuck with the same problems as last year.

 

[glenwo2]

No chance Cleveland is 7th. Even if they go into the season as is, they'll be a top 4 team in the East. The supporting cast around LeBron is better this team around and LeBron himself is good for about 10-15 extra wins. Hell, they won 50+ games back when he was surrounded by the likes Mo Williams, Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Daniel Gibson, a broken down Ilgauskas, Donyell Marshall, and whatever other garbage they could find.

Indiana is worse today than they were when the season ended. I could see them falling into the 5-8 range. They replaced Stephenson with Rodney Stuckey, which is a downgrade. Unless they move Hibbert for a point guard, there stuck with the same problems as last year.

Okay I'll amend it and say they are #5 'cause while Lebron DID help a less-talented Cavs team win 50+ games back in the day, the level of talent he faced from other teams wasn't as good as the talent he'd face now.

I'd say #5 would be Best-Case-Scenario.

And I'll put Indiana at 7 and move Miami up to 6.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Brooklyn is a little high there, BP.

And Indiana is a bit low.


I think the standings would end up like this :

1. Chicago
2. Indiana
3. Washington
4. Brooklyn
5. Toronto
6. Miami
7. Cleveland
8. Atlanta

Disagree with both of you.

1:Chicago
2:Washington
3:Toronto
4:Cleveland
5:Indiana
6:Miami
7:Brooklyn
8:Atlanta.

Bulls as you said all depends on Rose but I think that roster is good enough in the broken up East to at least be 4th. Wizards will push hard and could flip flop and be the one seed. I agree they can be that good in the east. Bulls and cavs could switch but I don't think the Cavs right now are good enough to be a one seed unless the stars alighn (unless the love trade happens then things change)

I just like the raptors more then the Nets right now.

As for the bottom Knicks might knock on the door and I wouldn't be shocked if Philly is knocking too. They will have a much better team next year.

 

[glenwo2]

Disagree with both of you.

1:Chicago
2:Washington
3:Toronto
4:Cleveland
5:Indiana
6:Miami
7:Brooklyn
8:Atlanta.

Bulls as you said all depends on Rose but I think that roster is good enough in the broken up East to at least be 4th. Wizards will push hard and could flip flop and be the one seed. I agree they can be that good in the east. Bulls and cavs could switch but I don't think the Cavs right now are good enough to be a one seed unless the stars alighn (unless the love trade happens then things change)

I just like the raptors more then the Nets right now.

As for the bottom Knicks might knock on the door and I wouldn't be shocked if Philly is knocking too. They will have a much better team next year.

Then all this is simply your biased opinion then.

Okay. I like the Nets more than the Raptors then. But I'd still put them close to them in the Standings than all the way down to 7th. Just 'cause they let Pierce go means nothing. One player does not make or break a team and I fully expect this Nets team(Opinion again.....mine) to be well within the playoff chase and finish probably behind Toronto(wherever they end up getting ranked; I seriously doubt they will be #3 in the conference) but then again, how will Lowry play now that he's gotten the big contract(and it isn't a contract year)?

 

[Emperoreddy]

Then all this is simply your biased opinion then.

Okay. I like the Nets more than the Raptors then. But I'd still put them close to them in the Standings than all the way down to 7th. Just 'cause they let Pierce go means nothing. One player does not make or break a team and I fully expect this Nets team(Opinion again.....mine) to be well within the playoff chase and finish probably behind Toronto(wherever they end up getting ranked; I seriously doubt they will be #3 in the conference) but then again, how will Lowry play now that he's gotten the big contract(and it isn't a contract year)?

No I think Toronto is a better team right now, though I forgot to factor in the new coaching situation with the Nets. A real coach could definitely pull more out of that roster.

I think there is a lot of things outside of the top 3 or 4 in the East that can go many ways. I honestly wouldn't be shocked if the Pacers just completely implode for instance.

In news Cavs and Wolves are talking again and now Wiggins and Bennent are on the table but the Wolves want even more. Cavs need to be careful or this is going to be a bad overpayment for a guy they could definitely get for free (assets wise) in a year.

Heat resign Haslam and spent $215 million this offseason. Wow.

 

[NJDevs26]

Except supposedly Golden State and other teams with assets are willing to trade for Love and get the jump...so the T'Wolves do have a bit of leverage. I don't know what else the Cavs really have to give up besides Wiggins and Bennett anyway? They could always throw a boatload of picks at them I suppose.

Plus just even having Love and Irving already give LeBron a better supporting cast than he had his last go-around in Cleveland, even with the humpty-dumpties playing along with them.